The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1887-07-09
/ METROPOLITAN PASTOR.
MINISTER WHO BREACHES
WEEKLY TO! 5000, 600, 900.
Rev. DR.. Paxton, Who Has New
Xork's Leading Millionaires
Among His Congregation

=
Dispatch, says: A great deal is written
about the preachers of the metropolis,
and particularly about those who, like
Talmage, keep their names constantly
before the public by means of books, lee
lures and published sermons. But there
are some very noteworthy clergymen,
who draw enormous audiences and pos
sess great ability, who rarely are heard
of in print, although known up and
down the city. Unquestionabiy the Rev.
DR.. John r. Paxton stands at the
head of the ministry in New York. Even
DR.. John Hall and Dr. Morgan r. Dix
10 not equal Paxton in eloqUence, origi-
nality and remarkable independence of
thought.
To begin with, Paxtons congregation
contains more wealth at the present time
than any other church in the United
States. The mere fact that within ra-
dius of half dozen pews on the middle
aisle sit Jay Gould, Russell Sage, Heber
r. Bishop and Henry NJ. Flagler is of it
self sufficient to prove the assertion.
Flagler is one of the chief directors of
the Standard Oil Company. He sits
pretty well up the aisle, while back by
the door, in fact within one pew of the
door, modestly sits S. c. Il. Dodd, the
resident attorney of the Standard and
lawyer who is said to know more about
corporation practice than any man IN
the nation. | could mention score Of
very rich men in the church, embracing
merchants, lawyers, brokers and the like,
but it will suffice to remark that the ag
gregate wealth of the congregation is
over $500, 600, 900.
While millionaires and aristocratic So
ciety people sit down stairs, the CALLER
les are crowded morning and evening
with hundreds of young men who are
simply bound up in Paxton.
DIR. Paxton's Church is known as the
West Presbyterian, and is situated on
West FoFty-second street, about midway
between Fifth and Sixth avenues. 1t is
very handsome structure, particularly
in the interior. The galleries are novel
in their construction, having been altered
about eighteen months ago. Instead of
being arranged in pews, there are boxes
all around the three sides. The boxes
are rented, as they are in theatres, so
that large family can have an entire
box, or small family can have part of a
box. A good many young men rent
single seat in one of the compartments.
The boxes are very comfortable, contain
ing easy chairs, book racks, and are Law
ishly and richly upholstered. The boxes
rise in tiers, one above the other, so as to
afford good view of the house.
The church was always a large and
prosperous one but when the venerable
pastor and hymist, Rev Dr. Thomas S.
Hastings, resigned and the eloquent
Paxton was called, the church increased
In size aff1uence and influence until its
contributions and congregations are en-
ormous. Less than year ago DR.. Pax
ton, at the close of his sermon, without
giving any previous notice, asked for
money for the building of new chapel
among the poorer classes on Tenth ave-
nue. and Sixty-fi fifth street. The baskets
were passed and $21, 900 was raised in a
few moments. This is a sample of the
charity of the church and the influence
wrought by an appeal from the pastor.
The church will seat over 1900, but
there is scarcely Sunday that there are
not 1000 people present at the services.
Chairs are placed in front of the pulpit,
camp chairs are distributed in the CALLER.
les, and yet people stand in the aisles
and by the doors, and ladies sit on the
pulpit steps.
It might be well to mention how the
smillionaires, and especially Jay Gould,
came to become members of the church.
1t is Paxton's magnetism and his practi-
cal, every day common sense that drew
them Gould never went to church
regularly before. He had pew for his
family in a nrOminent EDiScODal church
but rarely attended himself His young
est daughter, Helen Gould, first came to
4 Paxton's church. She was with friend
and admired the preacher very much.
Finally she became frequent attendant
and then joined the church one Sabbath
morning, receiving a very happy tribute
3 from Paxton as to her Christian virtues
and sweet life. Since then, although
very young, she has been made supcrin-
tendent of one of the large missions con-
nected with the church, and is said to
spend great deal of time and money
among the poor. She promises to be-
come one of the great women benelactors
of the metropolis before many years
elapse Helen's enthusiasm over Paxton
induced her father to go and hear him.
Paxton never spares the millionaire and
the great corporation, and, oddly enough,
all the millionaires and corporation
managers in his congregation like his
criticisms Russell Sage is reputed to
have said that he got more good points
from Paxton as to the way in which rail
roads should be decently and honorably
conducted than he ever got from meet
ings of directors. At any rare, Gould